Lock for tongs



April 21, 1925.

B. Q. JONES LOCK on TONGS Filed July 12, 1924 61 a, f 2 \q m m. l/ r n z, M

3mm W BYRON Q. JONES, F VJASEZINGTON, DESTRICT OE COLTJIVEBEA.

LGCK TQNGS.

Application filed July 12, 1924. Serial No. 725,626.

To all whom it may concern.

lie it known that l, BYRON Q. Jones, a citizen oi? the United States, residing at ashing-ton, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks tor Tongs, of which he following is a specification.

This invention relates to gripping devices in general, and to pliers and tongs in particular, the broad object in view being to produce lock that can be installed upon the handles of tongs, pliers, or the like, in such manner as to enable a grip to be maintained upon an object held thereby alter the force exerted by the user is released. The device is so designed as to make it operative at the will of the user and provides a simple means for installing it on any gripping device without the alteration of the design of the device to which it is applied.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view as will be more fully set forth in the attached specification and in the claims, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement as follows. in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pair of pliers or tongs showing my invention applied to the handles thereof, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of Fig. 1 with the lock in its inoperative position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the tongs or pliers 1 are shown as provided on one of the handles thereof with a pawl 2 on the under side 01"". a lever 3. The pawl is adapted to engage a ratchet 1: oi a clip 5 which is mounted on the other of the handles 6 of the pliers. The lever 3 is of general U-shape so as to extend over the upper part of the arm or handle 6 and to straddle the clip 5 which is held to the handle (3 by means of a. screw which serves as a means for adjustably locking the clip in any desired position. The lever S is pivoted at the lower end thereof on a pivot pin 7 mounted in the clip 8 which is adjnstably held in position on the handle 9 by n cans of a screw 11. The clip 8 is provided with a spring 12 coiled about the pivot 7 so designed in the position as shown in Fig. 1 as to continuously tend to -force the lever 3 to the and downwardly so tout the pawl 2 will be engaged with the atchet The tree end of the spring 12 *ests as shown in the drawings, on the toe 18 of a little bell crank pawl 1% which is pivotal'ly mounted on the clip 8. The spring end will yieldingly maintain the bell crank pawl in a position shown in the drawing.

its the handles 6 and 9 are brought together from an open position by the user, the l ver 3 begins to engage with the teeth of the ratchet 4 engaging with them successively to the rear so that ii at any time the force upon the handles is released, it will be impossible for those handles to move away from each other due to the engagement of the pawl 2 with the ratchet.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be observed that the lever 3 has been moved forwardly to an inoperative position where it is held by means of the engagement oi the bell crank pawl 14.- with a small lug on the lever 3 more fully shown in Fig. 1 so that the lever 3 is pre vented from moving into an operative looking position. The spring 12 as shown passes behind the small lug 15 and the spring itself if desired may be engaged by the bell crank pawl 14. By pressing forwardly with the thumb on the top 16 of the bell crank pawl let, the spring 12 and the lever 3 will be instantly released and the spring 12' will then move the lever 3 so that it engages with the opposite handle to hold the same in position.

I claim 1. In a gripping tool having a plurality of pivoted operating arms, a clip adapted to be mounted on one of said arms, a lever pivoted on said clip, and a ratchet device on the other oi said arms to be engaged by said lever for the purpose described.

in a gripping tool, having a plurality of arms, a clip, means for adjustably mounting said clip on one of said arms, a lever pivoted on said clip, a second clip adapted to be mounted on the other said arm including a ratchet device adapted to be engaged by said lever.

S. In a gripping tool having a plurality of pivoted arms, a clip adapted to be mount ed on. one of said arms, a lover pivoted on said clip, aratchet on the other of said arms to be engaged by said lever, and a spring operatively connected to said lever to ur- 2 the same to a locking position.

l. in a gripping tool having a plurality lUU of pivoted arms, a clip adapted to be mounted on one 01": said arms, a lever pivoted on said clip, a ratchet on the other of said arms to be engaged by said lever, a spring operatively connected to said lever to urge the same to a locking position, and releasable locking means maintaining said spring and said lever in inoperative position.

5. In a gripping tool having a plurality of pivoted operating arms, a clip on one of said arms, a lever pivoted on said clip, a second clip, means adjustably looking said second clip on the other of said arms, a ratchet device on saidsecond clip adapted to be engaged by said lever, a spring operatively connected to said lever to urge the same to a locking position, and a manually releasable rotatable member adapted to engage said lever and said spring to hold the same in an inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BYRON Q. JONES. 

